Wire rope manufacturing machine



May 2, 1950 w. T. M CREAD lE WIRE ROPE MANUFACTURING MACHINE Filed Sept.15, 1947 w 2" Nu mm Patented May 2, 1950 'UNl'lED STATES PATENT OFFICEWIRE ROPE MANUFACTURING MACHINE William T. MacCreadie, Lewisburg, Pa.,assignor, by mesne assignments, to Sunbury Wire Rope ManufacturingCompany, Sunbury, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationSeptember 15, 1947, Serial No. 774,159

6 Claims.

This invention is a wire rope making machine, and pertains particularlyto that type of machine involving mechanism for producing a rope orcable in which a plurality of wires are wrapped or twisted together toprovide an elongated strand.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of simpleconstruction for the production of small cables involving relatively fewstrands, and wherein the completed cable may be produced rapidly and bythe use of simplified operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a small strander cablemachine of simplified and compact construction, which involves lessparts, gears and shafts than have heretofore been required, which israpid in its operation, and which is capable of producing small strandcable with a minimum of energy, as well as at a minimum of cost.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with others which willappear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will bedescribed more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a cable manufacturing machine embodying theinvention, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, reference will first bemade to the haul-off structure. This structure includes a carriage 5 ofsubstantially rectangular shape, having outwardly projecting hollowtrunnions 6 at its ends rotatably mounted in suitable bearings upon;posts or supports 1. This frame is supported in its bearings forrotation upon a horizontal axis. One of the trunnions 6 has securedthereto a pulley 8 over which passes a belt 9 engaged over a pulley ordrive wheel afiixed to the power or countershaft H. The wire strands tobe formed into the cable are carried by spools or bobbins l2 rotatablymounted in their supporting frames ,l3 which, in turn, are rotatablysupported in "suitable bearings upon posts l4. Rotative movement ofthese spool frames is brought about by the pulley and belt structureshown, powered by a belt l passing over a pulley l6 upon the power shaftI I. The strands leading from the spools I2 pass through the die I Idisposed in advance of the haul-off drum as usual, so that the cable inits preliminary twisted form passes as such, indicated at l9, to thehaul-off drum 20 secured l 2 upon shaft 2| transversely mounted withinthe haul-off carriage 5.

The shaft 2| has affixed thereto near one of its'ends a bevel gear 22which is in mesh with a similar gear 23 disposed axially of thecarriageand coaxial with the hollow trunnions 6. A shaft 24 afiixed to bevelgear 23 passes through the trunnion 5 at the delivery end of thehaul-oi! carriage and has bearing within said trunnion. The outer end ofthe said bevel gear shaft has afiixed thereto a pulley 25 over whichpasses a belt 26 engaged around a pulley 21 afllxed to the power shaftll.

It will here be noted that the speed of rotation of the haul-offcarriage does not govern the speed of rotation of the haul-off drummounted therein, as the carriage and the said drum are driven by powermeans independent of one another.

The wind-up bobbin 28 is mounted upon a shaft 29 disposed transverselyof a wind-up bobbin cradle or frame 30, the ends of which areprovided'with outwardly extending hollow trunnions 3| rotatably mountedin supporting posts 32. One of these trunnions has aflixed thereto apulley 33 over which passes a belt 24 engaged over a pulley 35 aflixedto the power shaft l I.

The shaft 29 which supports the wind-up bobbin 28 has loosely mountednear one end thereof a bevel gear 36 secured as at 36' to bobbin 28,which gear is in mesh with a similar gear-.31 aflixed to a sectionalshaft 38 which passes through and has bearing in one of the hollowtrunnions 3|, and this shaft 38 has afflxed to the far end thereof apulley 39 over which passes a belt 40 similarly engaged with a pulley 4|aflixed to the power shaft II. The shaft 38 has arranged therein afriction clutch of conventional form indicated generally at 42.

Arranged transversely within the wind-up bobbin frame or cradle 30 andin advance of the bobbin 28 therein, is feed mechanism for winding thefinished cable properly upon the bobbin 28. This feed mechanism includesa feeder element 43 slidably mounted upon a bar 44 disposed transverselywithin the wind-up bobbin frame. This feed member 43 has operativeengagement' 'with the double threads 45 in the-surface-o fa feed screw46 rotatably mounted within the bobbin frame 30 and parallel with thebar 44. The feed screw and the association of the feeder membertherewith for back andforth movement are well known in the art andfurther description of their construction and operation is believedunnecessary.

The reversing screw 46 has aflixed to one of its having engagement witha pulley 54 affixed to:

the power shaft H.

The inner face of the disk 50 carries a pawl" 55 so positioned that asthe disk. rotates.-

err-- gages the teeth of the ratchet laonceeach'revo lution of the disk.The arrangement is such'thati the reversing screw 46, through its gears4'! and 48, the ratchet wheel 49* andathe: pawl. 55 is moved in a stepby step manner and at a speed governed by the speed of rotation of thedisk 56..

This speed will be determined by the size of the "belt pulleys. E l-54;It will also be understood that the feed member or follower: 43 willmove back and forth upon. its supporting bar 44' in "advance. of thewind-up bobbirrfitand at a. speed commensurate with the. speed ofrotation of disk The: speed: of rotation of: the. wind-up bobbin 28 begoverned: by the speed of rotation of shaft 38, to be determined by thesize'of pulleys 38-44. The: friction brake or clutch 42 will stabilizeor regulate the speed of shaft 38. The speed of 'rotatirm of the cradleor frame 3c which supports the wind-up bobbin and the cablefeedmechanism= will bedetermined bythe size-of the pulleys 334-35through which power is transmitted tothe hollow trunnion 3t. A weight56imay be provided in the bobbin cradle or frame 30 for balancingpurposes.

From the. foregoing, it will be observed that I have. provided what may'be termed a' small strander which involves relatively few parts, whichparts are of simple construction and of easy assemblage, which are soassembled and coordinated as to permit of a wide latitude of relativespeeds. of movement of the various partsinvolved. .By the use of astrander constructed in this manner, it is apparent that". it may be-made'- to operate rapidly, at the same time. very efllciently toproduce a. perfect relatively small strand. cable at a: minimum of cost:and. with the least possible expenditure of energy.

I'claim: 1,;In a wire rope manufacturing machine, a

"Wlndmpbobbin, means for rotating said bobbin, atfriction clutch in saidbobbin rotating means,

a: f'cedmember movable back and forth in advance. of said bobbin. tofeed a strand to the latter, and means for operatingrand: governing thespeed of said feed member- 2. Ina wire rope manufacturing machine, a

bobbin cradle, means for rotating said cradle, a wind-up bobbinrotatably mounted in and supported: by; said. cradle, means for rotatingsaid bobbin, automatically operating speed variable mechanism insaidbobbin rotatingmeans, a feed ;member in said. cradle. movable back andforth ir'radvance. of said bobbinto feed astrand. to the latter, andmeans governing the speed of said feed member.

3. In a wire rope manufacturing machine, a rotatably mounted wind-upbobbin frame, means for rotating said frame, a bobbin shaft disposedtransversely of said frame and rotatable therein, means for rotatingsaid bobbin shaft, a bar disposed in said frame parallel with saidbobbin shaft, a feed screw parallel with said bar and z shaft, a feedmember slidably mounted on said bar, a connection between said feedmember and said screw, and means for rotating said screw in a. step. bystep manner.

4.111 a wire; rope manufacturing machine, a

; rotatably mounted wind-up bobbin frame, means for rotating said frame,a wind-up bobbin disposedv transversely within said frame, means forrotating said bobbin, a bar within said frame disposed parallel to saidbobbin, a screw member rotatably mounted in said frame parallel with andadjacent to; said, bar, a. guide member-slida-bly' mounted upon saidbar, aconnection between said guide member andthe threads of said screw,a gear afized to said screw; aratchet member for rotating said gear, andmeans to driving said ratchet member. 1

5; In a wire rope manufacturing machine, rotatably mountedwind-up bobbinframe, means for rotating said frame, a wind-up bobbinv rotatablymounted within and transversely of said frame, means for rotating, saidbobbin, a guide member mounted to travel parallel withthe axis of said'bobbin, a screw member in said frame to move said guide member, a diskrotatably mounted within said frame, a ratchet drive. con,- nectionbetween said-v disk and said screw, and meansfor rotating said disk.

6. In av wire rope manufacturing machine-,.- a bobbin cradle, means forrotating said cradle, at a predetermined. speed, a Wind-up bobbinvrotatabl-y mounted in and supported by said cradle, a gear on saidcradle to drive. said bobbin, a. rotatable shaft, a. drive connectionbetween. said shaft and said gear, and. a friction clutch insaid shaft.

WILLIAM T. MACCREADIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Great Britain of. 1880

